Regular top-level meetings between Kazakhstan and China mean they plan to be long-term strategic partners - Kairat Kelimbetov
JING. June 11. KAZINFORM /Ruslan Suleimenov/ At the invitation of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Kazakhstan. This event is significant since the leader of such great country, as China, the second time will arrive in our republic. This proves that our countries plan to be long-term strategic partners. Chairman of "Samruk-Kazyna" National Welfare Fund Kairat Kelimbetov shared his view on this theme with Kazinform correspondent.
How do you assess the current level of economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and China?
The high level meetings between our countries' leaders show that Kazakhstan and China are planning to be long-term strategic partners. In the course of the Kazakh President's visit to China, April 2009, there was made a decision about credit lines. Out of the allocated USD 10 bln loan, USD 5 bln was envisaged for oil and gas sector. Today the situation is so that the National Company KazMunaiGaz and Chinese company CNPC have become strategic partners in MangistauMunayGaz JSC. Secondly, all the preparative documents for the construction of Beineu-Bozoi-Shymkent gas pipeline are ready to be connected with the export line Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China. That means, Kazakhstan will become the Chinese strategic partner in the oil and gas supply sphere.
Another USD 5 bln is allocated for the technological modernization of the industrial complex of the country. In the course of the Hu Jintao's visit, in December, there was made the agreement on modernization of the Atyrau Refinery (amounting to more that USD 1 bln).
Along with oil processing, petrochemical industry and chemical sphere special attention is paid to metallurgical engineering. Presently, all the documents of Aktubinsk metallurgical plant of new generation are under preparation. In addition, the primary aluminum production plant will be put into operation in Pavlodar oblast. Development of the Bozshakol copper minefield is to be started in June. At that Kazakhmys Company in Bozshakol and other minefield use USD 2,7 bln within the limits of the investment credit line allocated by the Chinese Development Bank to Samruk-Kazyna Fund.
All these measures represent the economy diversification which was mentioned in the President's address to the people of Kazakhstan, Strategic Plan till 2020, including the Program of Forced Industrial Innovative Development.
What are the main results of your working visit to China?
The visit was aimed at holding consultations before the high-level meeting in the nuclear industry sphere. Kazatomprom Company actively cooperates with two Chinese companies - CNNC, CGNPC - on uranium delivery. At the first time within the framework of these visits we start to consider the issues relating to the long-term strategic partnership.
Taking into account that on the one hand Kazakhstan is a reliable supplier of energy resources in the spheres of oil and gas, uranium and metals, on the other hand it creates clear policy aimed at receiving in return not only financial resources, but new technologies, equipment and know-how. Therefore we cooperate with the Chinese oil, uranium and telecommunication companies to create a new industry in Kazakhstan.